The inventive concepts relate to light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems, and more particularly, to optical phased arrays (OPA) configured for beam steering that may be included in LiDAR systems.
Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a method for measuring the presence and movement of objects (e.g., solid objects, vapor, dust, gases, aerosols, or cloud particles) in an environment by using laser light, and is also known as laser radar. For example, a LiDAR may involve emitting laser light, such as visible light or infrared rays, and measuring a distance to an object or a meteoric phenomenon by using reflected or scattered light that is reflected and/or scattered by the object based on the emitted laser light. Examples of LiDAR systems may include a Doppler radar that measures a velocity of a fine target that moves at a low speed by using the fact that laser light produces a greater Doppler effect than microwaves, and a Raman radar that analyzes components of a target object by using a Raman-shift.
Recently, LiDAR has been applied in sensors or scanners of intelligent vehicles and smart cars (e.g., autonomous vehicles, vehicles configured to engage in autonomous navigation, vehicles configured to be driven autonomously, etc.) to detect one or more various objects (e.g., obstacles) in an environment through which the vehicles may be navigated. In such cases, LiDAR systems may generally include a plurality of antennas and a beam steering device configured to emit laser light to a target point.